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Thursday, 25 September 2014

Doom Brothers or the Brothers Grim?

I expect that some of you well be familiar with these models. The pop up quite regularly on eBay though they are a rare sight painted. Though that will change as both models will be seeing the attentions of my paint brush this weekend.

But why are they named so? Who were the two orcs? Were they really brothers? Interestingly, they seem to be a little confused about their actual name, as when they first appear in White Dwarf 91 they refer to themselves as the Doom Brothers.

Here, have a look...

Later on, our friends reappear (seen here in one of the late '80s catalogues) with a new moniker, that of the Brothers Grim in a suitably Warhammer reference of the modern world. If the original brothers collected stories, I wonder what the goblinoid versions collected?

Actually, I dread to think!

Check them out...

There are a number of theories about their provenance, with most of them linking these characters to the aborted Malal comic strip staring Kaleb Daark. Perhaps the change in name was an attempt to reuse the models after the partnership with GW broke down. However, it seems strange to me that a comic strip story already containing a set of brothers (Helwud and Jaek) would need another.

So I had a word with the original sculptor of the models, the legendary Kev Adams, but he couldn't remember working on them at all. Judging by the design of the armour on the bigger model he said, they were earlier on in the 1980s, which certainly puts them in the right time frame with the Malal strips. Incidentally, Kev is looking very well after being chopped up with sharp surgeon's blades and hopes to be back at work soon.

So, I guess the models will remain a small mystery in the Oldhammer world. Unless you dear reader know something more..?

As they both appear to have dual weapons and they appear on the same page as the Dual Weapons Orcs in the catalogue, I always wondered if they were all meant to be a Regiment of Renown that never got fleshed out.